SSI Basics & Concepts

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a user-centric approach to digital identity that gives people and organisations full control over their data. SSI enables anyone to easily share their data and reliably prove their identity without sacrificing security or privacy.

In other words, SSI enables you to manage and own your identity, which can span across a wealth of data points: from core identifiers such as your name, age and address, to your qualifications and health and insurance data, to social clubs and attendance proofs.

A key concept are Decentralised Identifiers (DIDs) which enable trusted issuance and also decentralisation. DIDs are blockchain based so if an organisation wishes to leave Profile.io they can still access their DID.

SSI has an onboarding problem and lacks incentive structures which provides an opportunity for profile.io.

How does SSI work?

SSI allows us to model digital identity in a similar manner to how we are accustomed to in the non-digital world through paper documents and cards.

Trust Registries ensure that the overall system can be relied on and a decentralised trust registry of issuers is the goal of profile.io.

For example, instead of presenting a physical identity document, such as a drivers license or membership card, you present a digital credential that is securely stored in your Profile mobile app. These digital credentials can be reliably verified by anyone that you choose to share them with, and even preserve sensitive information whilst proving that a statement is true, such as proving you are over 21 without disclosing your true age.

In doing so, SSI enables decentralised ecosystems to interact in cryptographically trusted ways. These ecosystems look like three-sided marketplaces, whereby every actor can take on three roles:

• Issuers - Parties who issue identity-related data to people or organisations in the form of digital credentials. These are the originators of data sources. For example, a university that issues digital certifications to graduates.

• Holders - Individuals or organisations who receive digital credentials that contain data about themselves. By aggregating and storing credentials in a unified Profile, Holders can build holistic digital identities that are under their control and can easily be shared with third parties.

• Verifiers - Parties who rely on data to provide products and services, who can reliably verify and process data presented to them by Holders. For example, a supermarket that provides discounts to qualified health practitioners.